JB motorists upset over costly pothole damage

JOHOR BAHRU – Motorists in Johor Bahru say potholes are damaging vehicles and creating safety risks, with some having to pay hundreds of ringgit for repairs after hitting damaged roads.

Motorcyclist Emir Aqif Jaihar Jailani, aged 20, recalled a close shave in the town of Skudai about six months ago.

“My front tyre suddenly became unstable and I almost lost control of my bike,” said the student.

Mr Emir said he managed to regain control of his motorcycle and took his vehicle to a nearby workshop.

“I rode slowly to a workshop nearby to get my front tyre and rim replaced.

“The repairs cost me around RM500 (S$162) and I felt it could have been avoided,” he said.

Mr Emir added that he was not aware that such incidents could be reported to the Public Works Department (JKR) and hoped that the authorities would pay closer attention to poor road conditions to prevent similar incidents.

Mr R. Praven Kumar, aged 23, said his encounter with a pothole in the Tampoi area a few months ago also caused damage to his vehicle.

“When it happened, there was a loud bump and the impact bent my front rim and damaged the front tie rod end.

“I was forced to send my vehicle to the workshop for a day and spent RM375 on repairs,” he said.

Mr Praven Kumar said he noticed that potholes were becoming more common due to poor patchwork repairs.

He also called for better road infrastructure, including improved street lighting, clearer road dividers and more consistent speed bump designs.

“Some speed bumps are too high and scrape the bottom of my car, even though it is not lowered like some other cars.

“I notice manhole covers also pose risks when they are too deep,” he added.

Student Glen Hong, aged 22, said a recent incident involving a pothole made him more alert on the road.

“I was driving along a road in Taman Mount Austin in 2025 when the car in front of me suddenly swerved to avoid a pothole.

“I did not have time to react so my wheels went straight into the pothole.”

He said there was a loud bang and he felt the impact through the steering wheel.

Mr Hong was thankful that the incident did not leave any visible damage to his car, but said he has since exercised extra caution when driving behind other vehicles.

According to Johor Bahru JKR district engineer Raja Fairol Farouk Raja Abd Assiss, the department receives an average of 47 pothole-related complaints a month involving both federal and state roads.

He said reported accidents linked to potholes remained relatively low, at about three to four cases per month, based on statistics and complaints channelled through local councils including Johor Bahru City Council, Iskandar Puteri City Council and Pasir Gudang City Council.

Mr Raja Fairol said potholes were mainly caused by excessive loads from heavy vehicles, particularly multi-axle lorries carrying construction materials such as concrete and sand.

He said that poorly carried out utility excavation works also contributed to road degradation.

He noted that the number of compensation claims remained low, averaging between zero and two cases a month.

He added that some members of the public had lodged complaints in person at the district office.

“Motorcyclists are those most vulnerable to pothole-related damage,” said Mr Raja Fairol.

“To address the issue, the department has implemented several measures, including the installation of high-speed weigh-in-motion systems along Pasir Gudang Highway to detect overloaded lorries.

“Road-strengthening techniques such as rigid pavement and Cold In-Place Recycling (a technique to reconstruct asphalt pavement) have also been introduced to improve durability and reduce recurring damage,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK